Melbourne Market reviews
Two independent reviews of the Melbourne Wholesale Fruit, Vegetable and Flower Market at Epping have concluded the market is operating efficiently and effectively.
The work was undertaken to ensure that the trading environment at the Market supports Victoria’s horticulture industries to be globally competitive, highly productive and sustainable.
ISECO Engineering Services Ltd was engaged to conduct an independent review of the Central Cooling Plant at the Melbourne Market Epping site with the aim to:
- Observe and understand the operation of the central cooling plant and establish the cooling load profile
- Evaluate the overall energy consumption of the refrigeration cooling supplied by MMA to the tenants
- Identify and outline potential areas of energy and cost savings.
The 2020 review found the central cooling plant is working efficiently.
A review of the market’s financial and operational performance was undertaken by KPMG.
The review assessed the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the Melbourne Wholesale Fruit, Vegetable and Flower Market at Epping from three key perspectives:
- How well does the Market perform financially in comparison to the other key Australian wholesale markets?
- Do the current market operations meet the Melbourne Market Authority’s objectives as specified within the Melbourne Market Authority Act 1977 (the Act), and in particular is the MMA providing a commercially viable facility and ensuring a fair and competitive trading environment?
- How well positioned is the Market to respond to current and emerging trends in the horticultural and retail industry?
The 2020 KPMG review found:
- The financial performance of the market is comparable to other Australian state-based markets.
- Overall the Market was found to operate effectively. Some opportunities have been identified that could drive ongoing performance.